Real Wedding

Mansion Wedding: Katie & Alyssa

With a gorgeous mansion as their backdrop, Katie & Alyssa got hitched on April 16, 2011 surrounded by family, friends and amazing desserts.

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Their venue was the Willowdale Estate, about 20 miles north of Boston. This Tudor Revival stone mansion was built in the early 1900s and still boasts the original stained glass windows, red slate roof, stone-carved fireplaces and images of Knights and Kings throughout. It was a cloudy and cold early spring day, but the brides and their guests had nothing short of a fabulous time.

Each bride had a bridal party of four of her favorite people, and they created a rainbow theme with their shoes and flowers. “The hour or so before the wedding that we got to spend getting ready with our parents, siblings and best friends was a really great way to begin the day and get excited for all of the other things that were to come,” the brides said. They asked Alyssa’s aunt to perform the ceremony, and made a last minute decision to hold it inside so their guests wouldn’t freeze. “The ceremony was unique to us and included every person in attendance,” they explained.

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After the ceremony, it was all about dessert and dancing. They served cake, an ice cream sundae bar and gigantic, warm chocolate chip cookies. Guests flowed between the sweets, dance floor and the photo booth. “The photo booth pictures were pasted in a scrapbook and our guests wrote extra nice notes for us next to their hilarious poses. We really enjoyed looking through the book the next morning,” the brides said. As they reflected back on their day, Katie and Alyssa said their wedding was exactly what they’d hope for: “Unique, colorful, and all about our love!”

Denise Oliveira is a Brooklyn-based writer. She has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York City and is the founder of Prequels, where she interviews engaged couples to create wedding invitations and favors that incorporate their love story.